Rising financial stress is complicating relationship decisions: poll

The cost of living and rising financial stress are complicating Canadians’ decisions around relationships — from moving in with a partner to moving on after a breakup, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos for BMO.

The survey of 2,503 adults showed that more than a third (37%) of divorced or separated Canadians stayed in a relationship longer than they wanted because of the financial costs of a divorce or legal separation. The same proportion said economic uncertainty — factors such as job security and inflation — influenced the timing of the split with their partner.

Among those who have split from their partner, more than half (51%) said the rising cost of living has made the financial impact of divorce harder than they expected.

More than a quarter (28%) said they had delayed their divorce or legal separation, with financial concerns topping the list of reasons why, including expenses associated with the process (32%), the cost of separate households (27%) and economic uncertainty such as inflation and job security (18%).

“Money is often one of the biggest sources of stress during a separation or divorce, particularly when the financial impact is larger or more prolonged than expected,” said Carol Willes, director, estate planning with BMO Private Wealth.

Financial strain is also influencing earlier-stage relationship decisions, with one-third (33%) of Canadians reporting feeling pressured to move in with their partner to save money.

Although inflation has cooled to 2.8% in April from highs of 8.1% in mid-2022, prices are still 20% higher than five years ago, Sal Guatieri, senior economist at BMO, noted in the release.

The research is part of the BMO Real Financial Progress Index, launched in 2021.

The survey also looked at the impact of financial compatibility among couples, with nearly a third of respondents (32%) reporting that spending is a source of conflict in their relationship. More than a third (36%) said their partner spends too much on impulse or on extravagant items.

Lastly, the poll revealed some significant power imbalances when it comes to money in relationships, with more than half of respondents (54%) indicating they’re financially dependent on their partner, and 41% saying their partner understands financial planning better than they do.

Another poll released Thursday also pointed to inflation as a top anxiety among Canadians. According to Primerica Canada’s Financial Security Monitor poll, 59% of respondents said inflation was their biggest financial concern, ahead of getting sick or injured (51%), paying for groceries (51%) and fear of another major economic recession (49%).

Moreover, the online poll, which was conducted between April 5 and 8, found that pessimism around the economy and personal finances is growing. Six in 10 respondents said their personal financial situation had worsened over the past 12 months, and more than three-quarters (76%) said they don’t expect it to improve over the next year. Canadians also expressed strongly negative views about the national economy (76%) and their own provincial or territorial outlook (78%).

The Primerica Canada survey was conducted by Change Research. It used dynamic online sampling to survey 909 adults across the country.

The BMO poll was conducted by Ipsos between Dec. 29, 2025 and Jan. 27, 2026. Quotas and weighting were used to ensure the composition of the samples reflects that of the Canadian population. The survey has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.4%, 19 times out of 20.